BIOL 530
We will use the latitudinal increase in diversity towards the equator as a launching point to explore how diversity forms, is maintained, and disappears, and why we find such dramatic variation in diversity around the world.
Course discussions will focus on both evolutionary and ecological perspectives of diversity, and we will review various hypotheses to explain latitudinal diversity gradients.
Class schedule
Mondays 10:00 - 11:30am & Wednesdays 8:30 - 10:00am
Week 1 Mon, Jan 9, 2023 Introduction & complex questions in science
Wed, Jan 11, 2023 Strong inference **meet by Zoom**
Week 2 Mon, Jan 16, 2023 Multiple working hypotheses
Wed, Jan 18, 2023 Biological patterns across latitude
Week 3 Mon, Jan 23, 2023 A framework for studying diversity gradients
Wed, Jan 25, 2023 The latitudinal gradient through deep time
Week 4 Mon, Jan 30, 2023 Latitudinal Variation in Cladogenesis & Extinction
**Student presentations begin**
Wed, Feb 1, 2023 Janzen's Hypothesis - presenter: Claire; co-presenter: Katriona
Week 5 Mon, Feb 6, 2023 Asynchrony of Seasons Hypothesis - presenter: Brendan; co-presenter: Sterling
Wed, Feb 8, 2023 Shifting Ranges Hypothesis - presenter: Rachel; co-presenter: Nayla
Week 6 **no meetings** Paul away teaching field course
Week 7 Reading week (February 20-24)
Week 8 Mon, Feb 27, 2023 Species Energy - Rates of Evolution Hypothesis - presenter: Caleb; co-presenter: Brendan
Wed, Mar 1, 2023 Biotic vs Abiotic Selection Hypothesis - presenter: Tara; co-presenter: Victoria
Week 9 Mon, Mar 6, 2023 Geographic Area Hypothesis - presenter: Ailsa; co-presenter Izabelle
Wed, Mar 8, 2023 Species Energy - Number of Individuals Hypothesis - presenter: Kiely; co-presenter: Rachel
Week 10 Mon, Mar 13, 2023 Glacial Extinctions Hypothesis - presenter: Sarah; co-presenter: Ailsa
Wed, Mar 15, 2023 Tropical Niche Conservatism Hypothesis - presenter: Emma; co-presenter: Claire
Week 11 Mon, Mar 20, 2023 Density-dependent Mortality Hypothesis - presenter: Katriona; co-presenter: Caleb
Wed, Mar 22, 2023 Climate Stability - Population Size Hypothesis - presenter: Nayla; co-presenter: Tara
Week 12 Mon, Mar 27, 2023 Biotic Interactions - Ecological Breadth Hypothesis - presenter: Sterling; co-presenter: Kiely
Wed, Mar 29, 2023 Evolutionary Time Hypothesis - presenter: Victoria; co-presenter Sarah
Week 13 Mon, Apr 3, 2023 Environmental Harshness Hypothesis - presenter: Izabelle; co-presenter: Emma
Wed, Apr 5, 2023 Wrap-up discussion
Grade breakdown
Presentation of hypothesis & predictions 30% instructions & rubric
Co-presentation of critical assessment 15% instructions & rubric
Major written paper 35% instructions & rubric
In-class participation 20% instructions & rubric
There are no formal exams in this class.
Class readings (I will send out readings each week by email)
Week 1 Mon, Jan 9, 2023 no readings
Wed, Jan 11, 2023 Platt 1964 Science 146:347-353
Week 2 Mon, Jan 16, 2023 Chamberlin 1965 Science 148:754-759
Wed, Jan 18, 2023 Hillebrand 2004 American Naturalist 163:192-211
Week 3 Mon, Jan 23, 2023 Jablonski et al. 2006 Science 314: 102-106
Wed, Jan 25, 2023 Mannion et al. 2014. TREE 29:42-50
Week 4 Mon, Jan 30, 2023 Weir & Schluter 2007 Science 315:1574-1576 &
Martin et al. 2007 J. Evol. Biol. 20:930-936
Wed, Feb 1, 2023 Ghalambor et al. 2006 Integr. & Comp. Biol. 46:5-17
Week 5 Mon, Feb 6, 2023 Martin et al. 2009 Ideas Ecol. Evol. 2:9-17.
Wed, Feb 8, 2023 Dynesius & Jansson 2000 PNAS 97:9115-9120
Week 6 no readings
Week 7 Reading week (Feb 20-24)
Week 8 Mon, Feb 27, 2023 Allen et al. 2006 PNAS 103:9130-9135
Wed, Mar 1, 2023 Schemske 2009 book chapter
Week 9 Mon, Mar 6, 2023 Rosenzweig 1992 J. Mammalogy 73:715-730
Wed, Mar 8, 2023 Wright 1983 Oikos 41:496-506 &
Currie & Paquin 1987 Nature 329:326-327
Week 10 Mon, Mar 13, 2023 Adams & Woodward 1989 Nature 339:699–701 &
McGlone 1996 Global Ecol. Biogeogr. Letters 5:309-314
Wed, Mar 15, 2023 Wiens & Donaghue 2004 TREE 19:639-644
Week 11 Mon, Mar 20, 2023 Hille Ris Lambers et al. 2002 Nature 417:732-735
Wed, Mar 22, 2023 Connell & Orias 1964 Am. Naturalist 98:399-414
Week 12 Mon, Mar 27, 2023 Dyer et al. 2007 Nature 448:696-699
Wed, Mar 29, 2023 Fischer 1960 Evolution 14:64-81 (excerpt only)
Week 13 Mon, Apr 3, 2023 Brown & Gibson 1983 (excerpt from book) &
Thiery 1982 Biological Reviews 57:671-710 (excerpt)
Wed, Apr 5, 2023 Jetz & Fine 2012 PLoS Biology 10:e1001292
